The Bachelor's Experience
by Winter's Melancholy
Summary: Suave. Jet black hair. Eyes like rubies. Sexy. Single. One mansion. Nine women. A competition, where one sad, dejected girl goes home every week. This, my good friends, is my take on The Bachelor, with an Alice Academy twist. Read, review, and enjoy! It's my very first fanfic! Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1: The fun begins

**Foreword: Author's greeting, and quick notes:**

Hello! It's a pleasure to be able to acquaint myself with this community! I've been reading a lot on this site, and this is my very first fanfiction. I figured, heck, if people could write great stories, I guess I could have a hand at this too! Please, give honest critique on what you think this first chapter is like. I'd love to know what some of you pros think about this beginner's story! I hope you like it! This is an idea that came to me on the bus. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Neither Gakuen Alice, nor its beautiful characters, belong to me. They're the works of Higuchi Tachibana. I do not as well, in any way, own the franchise that is 'The Bachelor'. All rights to the show belong to ABC.

**Chapter One:**

It's a warm spring afternoon, somewhere near the outskirts of a large city. An enormous grove stands in the midst of a hilly forest, with small birds and the like making beautiful sounds through the trees. A mansion towers over the trees in the surrounding area, a small stream running nearby. It's silent… Almost. The sound of a loud diesel engine shatters the serene quiet, a bus coming into view over the hills. A white, almost obscene-looking piece of machinery that everybody would agree would never fit into its surroundings, the bus begins to pull into the driveway of the huge mansion. A smaller, dark van follows, along with a luxurious-looking black car.

In the bus, we see nine different (gorgeous) women, each doing different things, from applying makeup, to staring out the window. All of them seem to be excited, tingling with happiness, and glowing with joy. Whilst most of the women look calm and overjoyed to be where they are, a single, hyperventilating young woman seems to be trying to both scream her lungs out and laugh dizzily at the same time. Her wavy, auburn hair, tied in childish pigtails, seems out of place in the glitzy, glamorous-looking interior of the bus. She, like the eight other beautiful women in the bus, jump with shock when the bus comes to a quick stop, signalling, apparently, for the girls to get ready.

The door to the bus opens, revealing a camera crew, with a woman in short, cropped black hair standing behind them, presumably the director. With a call of 'and… action!', the camera rolls, and begins to move backwards, as the women slowly disembark, one by one, from the bus. As the women gaze in awe at the beautiful Victorian mansion that stands before them, a feminine, blonde-haired man with a microphone begins to speak.

And so… We bring you… The Bachelor- Alice Academy Style!

"This is your host, Narumi L. Anju, and welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the brand new season of 'The Bachelor'!" He gives a dazzling smile to the camera, and continues to speak. "This time, a host of nine beautiful women stand before us, ready to chase what just might be the Mister Right for her. And so, without further ado, I introduce our suitors!"

The camera begins to pan to the first of the nine women, a sexy-looking, scantily clad, and extremely pretty strawberry-blonde girl.

She opens her luscious lips, and begins an introduction almost obviously rehearsed time and time again.

"Hello! My name is Luna, Luna Koizumi. It's an honour to be here! I hope to be able to find the man of my dreams! My parents are rich, and so, if it's riches the hunk that we'll be chasing wants, I'll be the woman to go to. Besides, I'm fabulous! What more can I say than that?"

With that, the camera pans to the second woman, this time a woman with nice permed curls in her dark-coloured hair. Flashing a bright smile and showing off a perfectly manicured set of nails, this woman begins by striking a pose, looking almost cat-like in nature as she flicks her hair.

"My name is Sumire Shouda! I'm the woman of any man's dream, and I'll be damned sure our sizzling beefcake of a bachelor knows that through and through. What more can a man ask for?"

With another flick of her hair, the camera pans to yet another woman, this time with pink hair, and a demure look.

A few minutes after Narumi first began speaking, five more women, the loud and cheerful Misaki, the snarky and superior-looking Wakako, the dazed but mysterious Yura, and two geeky but very attractive twins (actually just very good friends), the bubblegum-haired chef/princess Anna and the ever-endearing chemist Nonoko, have been introduced. Having finished a quick introduction of almost all the girls, the host turns his head and looks at the other two remaining ones, now basking in the glow of the spotlights.

A moment later, we see that the camera has focused on an elegant-looking, fair-skinned lady with a cold, austere face. A warm smile suddenly breaks into her face, melting it into a pretty set of well-moulded features, from her jaw, to her beautiful emerald eyes.

Her nervous introduction begins with a shy wave.

"H-hello! I'm Nobara… Ibaragi. Some of my friends call me a cold beauty, but in truth, I-I'm just shy! I hope I get to know our bachelor well. I-I-I really, really hope he'll be my dream man. N-nice to meet you, everyone!"

With that, the camera, at last, finally casts its gaze on that very same auburn-haired girl that was hyperventilating in the bus previously. A closer look at her features show that she is, in fact, quite the belle, with her hazel-brown eyes, large and gleaming, and simple, yet strangely alluring features coming together to form a very beautiful face, and an extremely pretty girl over all.

Flashing a thousand-watt smile to the camera, this last girl nearly trips on her own foot before recovering and waving enthusiastically to the camera, as if it were the first time she had seen such a contraption.

"Hello everybody! I'm Mikan, Mikan Sakura! I'm here because my best friend Hotaru is the director, and I wanted to follow her all the way to this strange place to make sure she won't get hurt! I thank my Jii-chan (grandfather), mother, father, that postman down the street, my dog pickles, my uncle from Tokyo, and everyone else supporting me to make me so happy! I hope to meet the man of my dreams here! If I don't, then never mind, I guess, I'll just have to find the man of my dreams without- WHOAA-OH-OUCH!"

Mikan suddenly stopped, mid-sentence, as two swooning girls fainted on the spot, toppling the line of girls like a stack of dominoes. Recovering from that strange incident with a bright smile, Mikan decided to continue, only to have the camera suddenly stop pointing at her, suddenly focusing on the black luxury car that had been quiet all this time. No amount of waving would stop the camera from pointing back at her, and when Mikan stared in a frustrated manner at the black car, she found the reason why.

"And so, ladies and gentlemen, our very own bachelor, Natsume Hyuuga!"

As the host continued singing his praises in the background (millionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist), the bachelor, this handsome looking man with a beautiful well-toned body threatening to explode from under his custom-tailored suit, began to take in his surroundings, removing his shades and revealing a set of blazing red gems that were his eyes.

"Mister Hyuuga, what do you think of the lovely selection of ladies waiting to woo you? Do you see any potential?"

Standing up straight, and giving a slight movement of his abs that would have killed any woman conscious enough to notice, he stared at the group, singled out Mikan, and pointed at her.

"Hn, she's flat."

Birds began flying in all directions, as the calm in the forest was shattered by an ear-piercing scream.

"YOU BLOODY PERVERTED JERK!"

**Chapter One End.**

I hope you liked it! I really wanted to write the introductions of all the characters, but I was afraid it might come off as too draggy. I had some ideas, so if you do want to see the full introductions of all nine characters, I'll write a short one-shot about Narumi's introduction to every single one of them. Oh! I don't own the quote from The Avengers, either!  
Til' next chapter! Stay tuned.


	2. Chapter 2: The fun continues

**Notes: **Thank you, everyone, for the reviews! I shall take what has been mentioned and try to work more on it. A personalized thank you to both .Reading01 and jAyesque, for your named reviews. They keep me going. As promised, I shall keep this note short.

**Disclaimer: **Neither Gakuen Alice, nor its beautiful characters, belong to me. They're the works of Higuchi Tachibana. I do not as well, in any way, own the franchise that is 'The Bachelor'. All rights to the show belong to ABC.

**Chapter Two: **

"YOU BLOODY PERVERTED JERK!"

The camera immediately flies back to dear Mikan, who seems to be literally quivering in anger. She stomps forward, looking ready to stab him to death with her bare fingers, glaring daggers with her eyes. If looks could kill, one could swear that Natsume would have been burnt to a crisp on the spot right that instant.

Raising her hand to slap the smirking young man, Mikan is suddenly stopped in her tracks by his hand grabbing her arm. She is suddenly pulled close, and forced to stare into a pair of seductive ruby eyes. Still struggling defiantly, she tries to deliver a backwards kick to Natsume's shins, but a slight movement to the right by him leaves her kicking at thin air. Barely reacting to her thrashing movements, Natsume simply closes his eyes, moves his lips to her ear, and whispers a quiet line.

"You might be flat, but you have the face of an angel."

A startled and blushing Mikan is finally released from Natsume's grasp, still trying to comprehend what he just said, unsure whether to be angry or flattered at the bachelor's sudden change of attitude. An errant gust of wind suddenly blows through the clearing, sending skirts all around floating upwards.

"Wow, polka dots? Little girl, grow up."

Natsume's classic smirk has now returned to his face, and his eyes pierce Mikan's angry glare. Exasperated, furious, and at the same time unsure what to do, Mikan continues standing there; smoke leaking out of her ears. A few seconds of staring into blank air later, she seems to have decided not to try and murder him again (for the moment), as she huffs and stomps off to join the other girls, all looking at her somewhat jealously. Pure venom seems to radiate from both Sumire and Luna, however, taking the jealous glance one step further.

Having gotten off on a sour start, the nine girls trudge forward to the manse, a butler greeting them politely at the door.

Narumi's voice, from somewhere behind, is heard announcing, "and so, our girls' very first glimpse into the Alice Mansion!"

If the exterior was grand, the interior was heaven. A lush, beautiful carpeted floor greeted the women, with a walkway from the huge mahogany doors at the gate leading straight to the main flight of stairs, branching out into many corridors. The mansion had about twenty rooms, with two wings reaching to either side. A ballroom lay to the right of the main staircase, whilst the dining hall was to the left. The women, particularly Mikan, stare on in awe, eyes shining at the wondrous scene that lay before them.

Natsume, having also entered the premises, stops to the left of the girls, and speaks, a regal tone to his voice.

"Welcome to my mansion, Ladies."

Mikan, visibly angered by his statement, launches into a tirade.

"One week or MORE with YOU? I can't believe I signed up for this. Stupid Hotaru, forcing me to come along like this."

A flying clapperboard hits her in the head, causing her to scream out in shock. As Mikan picks it up, she sees a note stuck to it, with a note written on it in a curt fashion.

'Nobody asked you to come along, dolt. –Hotaru'

As she looks ready to cry out in despair at her best friend's seeming abandonment of her, both Luna and Sumire chip in.

"You really are an idiot! You should be honoured to be staying with Natsume-sama!"

"How could you call our sizzling beefcakes a pervert? You… You deserve divine retribution!"

They then echo in unison, "Go back to the countryside, bumpkin! We all hope you get kicked out first!"

At this, Mikan is seen bursting into comedic tears, wailing her heart out and screaming for Hotaru and her Jii-san.

As all the remaining girls gasp in shock at the sudden scathing comments launched at the brunette, a petite hand touches Mikan's shoulder. She turns around to see Nobara smiling shyly at her.

"Don't worry, Mikan! You'll survive. You're just too cute!"

Misaki, the pink-haired beauty, loudly adds her two cent's worth to scene as well.

"Yeah! Stop picking on her, or I'll beat you all up!"

The teary-eyed girl looks up, somewhat surprised at the acts of the two other girls, people she barely knew. Her expression suddenly changes to a huge grin as she hugs the two girls, thanking them for standing up for her.

"We'll be great friends! Just you see! Thank you so much!"

The three girls happily start chatting amongst each other, until a cough from Narumi attracts their attention. They look up, waiting for an announcement from the host.

"Girls, you have three hours to settle into your rooms. Your first dinner date will begin at seven, in the dining hall. The staff will now bring you to your rooms."

With a snap of his fingers, nine maids step forward, and begin to escort their respective charges to their lodging.

Natsume seems to smile quietly in the background, observing the scene in its entirety. He then walks off, quietly, to his bedchambers.

A few minutes later, Mikan is seen walking into her room, her luggage having been brought there already by the footman. Still somewhat shell-shocked from all that had happened, she sighs quietly and settles on her bed, letting the extravagant paintings on the wall amaze her. A sudden realization reaches her, as she walks to the writing table provided, and begins to pen a letter with the stationery she finds in the drawers.

_'Dear Jii-san,  
_

_How are you, and how is mom? I hope she's doing fine (is she still crying about her poor daughter going off to get married?), and I hope you aren't missing me at all. I've just settled into my room in Alice mansion. This place is huge! It's like the house I've always dreamed of! I'm not enjoying myself at all, though. The 'Bachelor' that everyone is swooning over is a stupid, perverted jerk known as Natsume, who happens also to be the owner of his house. I mean, he's extremely attractive, which is a plus point, but there's nothing redeeming about him besides the pretty face, from what I've seen of him. Well, there ARE those red eyes of his... But nothing much more!_

_Hmm, but I guess not everything was terrible here. I met two new friends, Misaki and Nobara! They're really nice, and I have a feeling we're gonna make great buddies!_

_I really hope I get to go home soon, though. But then again, I have to stay on for Hotaru's sake. What would she do without a friend like me with her?_

_I guess that's it for now. I have a dinner date in a few hours, and I need to catch up on some sleep!_

_Bye, Jii-san!_

_-Mikan.'_

Satisfied with her work, she exhales in relief, putting back the pen and folding her letter into an envelope.

After calling the butler to help her to post the letter, she settles into the bed, thinking about the overhanging dread that surrounds dinner with the bachelor later. Besides the fact that the man she has to court has a huge attitude problem, and the fact that he is a huge pervert, there was also the fact she was a country girl.

_The problem with being a country girl, of course, is having no idea what proper table etiquette consists of._

And so, with her thoughts surrounding that (and also the choice of what underwear to wear later, amongst other things), Mikan falls into a troubled sleep.

**Chapter 2 ****End****.**

Thank you, again, for the wonderful support you have given, and I hope you will continue reading. I know I haven't gone into the meaty part of the story yet, but I'll try to bring it in by next chapter. Also, I'm kind of looking for a beta willing to give a second opinion on my stories. I need to know that at least someone else is pleased by my chapter before posting it up. Thank you, once again, for the support. Till next chapter!

P.S. A clapperboard is that plastic thing directors use in between scenes to cut them and get them rolling. Just in case you have no idea what it is. :D

Q.E


	3. Preparations, and a surprise

I apologize for the extremely late update.

AoGA House Cup. (Words: 1217.)

Chapter 3:

A quiet stirring in the room reveals that our favorite brunette has awoken from her short nap. It is now six in the evening, and the sky has transitioned into a warm, red hue while the setting sun shines through the blinds, putting everything in a rosy light. A few short blinks later, Mikan has jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom, to prepare for her date with the hunky, red-eyed bachelor.

Meanwhile…

"Sumire! How does this dress look on me?" A tiny, yet deafening yell rings from three rooms down the corridor. Luna and Sumire seem to have become fast 'friends' in the hours since settling in, and are now in the process of dolling themselves up. Wakako, another one of their 'friends' is in the room next door, similarly trying to turn herself into a living Barbie doll.

Sumire's voice echoes from the open door. In the midst of the applying her makeup, Sumire decides to check out the competition, and walks over to Luna's room to look at her dress of choice. As she fades into our view in the doorway, we see that her hair has already been immaculately made up, and she is now in the process of adding a few silver-streaked clip on extensions for a pretty contrast to her dark-coloured hair. Doing a quick head-to-toe assessment of the daintily-dressed Luna, she smirks and then adds, "You look fabulous! I'm sure our sizzling beefcakes will give you a second glance. Well, I have nothing to fear. I'm sure Mister Sizzles will have his eyes on me most of the time, anyway."

With a light smile on her face, and a flip of her hair, Sumire returns to her room, ready to finish doing up her hair. Luna just blinks twice at the now-vacated doorframe, and goes back to ogling herself in the mirror.

In the room opposite, Anna and Nonoko are seen applying make-up for each other, while the ever-dazed Yura sits in the corner of her own room, daintily brushing a light cream colored foundation over her face, and preparing to add light purple blusher to highlight her face slightly. Misaki is seen in the room next door, tying her hair into a sophisticated yet messy bun; a strapless, rosy colored dress a few shades lighter than her hair hung on the corner of her bedpost.

In the room beside Mikan's, Nobara is quietly adding the finishing touches to her evening gown, her make-up giving her the appearance of an elegant angel. She mumbles quietly to herself, and begins humming a quiet tune as she straightens her hair. She sits on the bed, and glances at the clock, waiting for it to signal the turn of the hour.

In Mikan's room, however, all is chaotic. She stumbles out of the shower, slightly dazed from the heat in the bathroom, and stubs her toe on the corner of the bed.

Her shriek once again causing the evacuation of birds in a half-mile radius, she jumps in pain, then crouches down and rubs her stubbed toe. While trying to nurse it, she doesn't realise that fifteen minutes have passed.

Finally looking up, she sees that it is now half-past six. She shoots up like a bullet, and rushes to her makeup counter, nearly tripping in the process. As she begins to add a light coat of mascara to her eyes, her mind drifts to her choice of dress. Unlike the other eight girls, who have already picked their attire, Mikan is still at a loss for what to wear. She smiles softly to herself, and sets down the tube of mascara, deciding that she'll keep her makeup fairly natural for the night. For a moment, the hazel eyed beauty pauses to scrutinize herself, before gently tugging her hair out of her trademark pigtails. Having finished her face and hair, she opens her wardrobe, to be greeted by six different dresses, of varying lengths. When she finds that she cannot come to a decision, she walks over to the room next door and knocks.

She is greeted by a fully dressed and prepared Nobara, who looks at her in a surprised manner, noticing the bathrobe.

"Mikan! Why aren't dressed yet?" A puzzled look crosses her face, then seems to settle into realization as Mikan explains her six-dress dilemma.

Back at the wardrobe, the two girls begin examining the dresses available. With barely five minutes left to the dinner, panic begins to fill the air. A final decision is made when Nobara sees a white, strapless chiffon dress, hidden in the fold of two others.

"That dress is perfect," she says softly, pushing the hanger towards the brunette. "Hurry and put it on, Narumi wants us at the main staircase at seven. You wouldn't want to be late and give a bad impression to our host, now would you?"

Mikan scrambles off to put her dress on after pulling a pair of silver heels off the shelf. Walking out minutes later, she now looks ready for the dinner. Nobara's gloved hand grabs hers, and they rush out of the room, towards the main staircase.

A few minutes later, we see that the cast have gathered, in a semi-circle of sorts, at the foot of the main staircase of the house. The camera begins to roll, and Narumi, in his ever over-enthusiastic manner, begins to introduce the girls one by one again.

It is apparent that the women, one and all, are dressed to impress, in their high heels and strapless dresses.

The nine women shift from foot to foot, slightly uneasily, as the camera pans across the entrance hall. Soon, an announcement is made, declaring the dining hall open. The women shuffle curiously, a general note of anticipation in the air as to what would be for dinner that night, as well as how the bachelor (read 'beefbody sizzlecakes', in the case of Luna and Sumire) would look.

Mikan is, however, nervous. Amidst the general atmosphere, she is busy trudging slowly towards the hall, behind the group of girls. Clueless to the societal norms of the wealthy, she begins to desperately plead Nobara for some tips as to how to carry herself, much to the young heiress' amusement.

After approximately three or four minutes, the girls have arrived at the dining hall. The flustered Mikan has only learnt two things in that period- to not chew with her mouth open, and how to position her napkin when eating.

The rest, Nobara said, would be up to her common sense.

With a wave of his hand, Narumi gestures to the dining hall, and speaks softly to the camera.

"Ladies, the night has officially begun."

And so, the nine girls walk into the dining hall, and are awed by the opulent scene. With the hall decorated with suits of armor and its walls adorned with the heads of countless stuffed game animals, the regal atmosphere truly did make one feel like royalty.

However, contrary to the formal and regal setting in the dining hall, we see Natsume, in all his ruby-eyed glory, seated at the head of the table.

What is surprising about that, however, is that he is in a set of pajamas.

The jaw of every single woman in that room drops.

Chapter 3 fin.


End file.
